The year 2006 began on a sombre note in the United Arab Emirates as the country mourned the loss on January 4 of its prime minister, Sheikh Maktum ibn Rashid al-Maktum. Much attention during the rest of the year was focused on the country’s first elections, on December 16, in which half of the 40-member advisory Federal National Council were chosen by a representative Electoral Commission. Following labour demonstrations in mid-March, the government moved quickly to enact legislation that would allow construction workers—most of whom were noncitizens from Asian countries—to unionize and pursue collective bargaining. In an effort to reduce reliance on foreign workers, laws were passed obliging U.A.E. companies to hire only citizens for managerial and secretarial positions.

In March work was stopped on the Burj Dubai tower—expected to become the world’s tallest …

AP

The bid of DP World, a state-owned Dubai-based marine terminal operation company, to acquire managerial control of some American port facilities heightened tensions with the United States and caused something of a political brouhaha for the U.S. administration. DP World was not allowed to manage American ports directly, and an American “entity” was to be formed to do so.

The economy of the U.A.E. grew 11.5% in 2006, but the IMF warned that growth would slow dramatically in 2007. The stock market fell by 30% but was checked by government bailouts.

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